Dump-wagon.



A. M cDONALD. DUMP WAGON APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1916.

Patented May 22, 1917.

v 3 SHEETSSHEET I.

v SIM 0W A.MAcDONALD.

DUMP WAGON.

APPLICAHON FILED JULY 25,19l6."

Patnted May 22, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IIIIIII A. MACDONALD.

DUMP WAGON. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1916.

1,226,787; Patented May 22, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

attomw V ALEXANDER MACDONALD, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

DUMP-WAGON.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 191?.

Application filed July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,152.

To (all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MAGDON ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dump- Wagons, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to an improvement in dump wagons, and has for one of its objects to provide such a support for the bottom doors of the box that the sides thereof will be materially relieved from stresses. Another object is toprovide such a construction that hinges may be dispensed with and chains may be substituted for connecting the doors to the sides of the box, so that the front ends of the doors may hang free, after the load has been dumped; also to provide doors so constructed that sand, ashes or similar material will not escape between their edges, and such a control that one of the doors may be elevated in advance of the other so that a suitable disposition may be made of thedoors before loading. Still another object is to provide means to prevent accidental dumping of the load from vibration usually occasioned when driving upon rough ground. Other objects of the invention relate to mechanism so constructed and arranged that the load may be conveniently dumped by an operator, and that a suitable control may be made for braking.

With the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned, the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a view of the dump wagon in side elevation, the doors for the bottom being open. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the doors being closed and the drivers seat and brakes being omitted. Fig. 3 is a rear end view, the truss bar being partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a broken away view showing the front part of the wagon box in longitudinal. section. Fig. 5 is a broken away detail to clearly show the flexible mounting for the doors.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the improvements are in connection with a wagon box having the usual downwardly convergent ends and an open bottom, the doors, respectively indicated at 8 and 9 having a length conforming to the length of the opening, and-arranged, when swung downwardly, to permit dumping of the lo-ad between the wheels and forwardly of the rear axle.

The doors are arranged to swing from the upper part of the sides of the box by means of flexible strands or chains 6 which are connected at their lower ends withthe straps a of the doors, their upper ends being connected with the eye-bolts b which are mounted in the brackets 7, said brackets being mounted on theouter sides of the box near the upper edges thereof as shown in the drawing.

It will be appreciated that when the load is dumped in a deep ground-hole or pit, it is often necessary that the wagon be moved on an abrupt curve when leaving the clumping ground and that this movement of the wagon must occur before the doors are closed; and the doors, if hinges are used, are often injured and become detached from the sides of the wagon on account of their engagement with the material whichhas been dumped, at the time the wagon is thus driven. n

In the present instance it will be seen that the chains are of adequate lengthso that the front ends of the doors may hang dependingly from the brackets at, comparatively, a considerable distance therefrom when the load is dumped, and this feature tends to prevent the injury mentioned- Numeral 10 indicates a hook or bracket. These brackets are secured upon the sides of the wagon box, and .by means thereof the front ends of the doors may be held in an elevated position to prevent contact with the material when the load is dumped.

It will be noted that, by rotating the nuts 0, the eye-bolts may be adjusted longitudinally of the brackets .for slightly elevating or lowering. the doors together with. the

chains, this being desirable to compensate for the wearing away of parts incident to their use, so that the doors, when swun upwardly, will make contact with the ower edges of the sides of the box to prevent leakage.

A beam or truss bar 11 is provided upon which, near its middle, is mounted the pair of sheaves It is supported by brackets 13 which are mounted uponthe upper edges, midway between the ends of the box.

This bar may be constructed of any suitable material, but preferably channel iron is used, and sheaves 14 are mounted in brackets 13 at the ends of the channel iron to project outwardly of the sides of the box. Numerals 15 indicate a pair of cables each being connected with a door, as best shown in Fig. 3, and after engaging a sheave 12 and a sheave 14, extends forwardly of the vehicle and outwardly of the upper edges of its sides for engagement with-mechanism to be described.

Numerals 16 indicate staples for the doors, and when the doors are closed the sheaves 12 are disposed directly above these staples with which the cables, at one of their ends, are connected. The particu lar arrangement of the truss bar, sheaves and cables as mentioned is of great advan tage in sustaining the stresses when the load is hauled over rough roads, for it will be understood that thecables and their connections are depended upon for sustaining the weight of the load. The beam or truss 11, in addition to providing a mounting for the sheaves, operates as a brace to resist inward pressure and preventing collapsing of the sides, and the channel iron provides a cover or housing for the sheaves and horizontal parts of the cables.

The cables 15 are preferably of equal length and their front ends are secured to the drums 17 at the ends of the horizontal shaft 18, said shaft preferably having bearings in brackets 19 which are mounted upon the top and near the front end and project outwardly .of the sides of the box. 1 This shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 20 and, mounted to. swing on the shaft, is the operating lever 21 provided with a pawl 22; and by use of these parts the shaft 18 may be rotated in one direction for causing the doors 8 and 9 to swing upwardly to a closed position, a second pawl 23 alsoengaging the ratchet wheel to prevent a reverse rotation of the shaft 18.

Thepawl 23 is mounted on a releasing lever 24-, said lever having a pivotal mounting, indicated at 25, near its lower end upon the side of the box. This lever eX- tends rearwardly from its pivotal mounting, and is adapted to bear upon the shaft 18 and to have swinging movements above said shaft. It isprovided with a. dog or clutch-26 adapted to engage this shaft, and which operates normally to prevent any upward swingingv movement of the lever from said shaft. A bell crank 27 is mounted upon the lever 24: near its rear end, and a link 28 connects the bell crank with the dog 26.

The construction thus described provides convenient means for winding the cables when elevating the doors 8 and 9. It will be understood that since the weight of the load is supported by the cables 15, the doors will immediately swing downward for dumping when the ratchet wheel of shaft 18 is released from the pawl 23. After the load has been dumped, the doors may be elevated to a horizontal position by rotating the shaft 18 by use of the lever 21 cooperating with the ratchet wheel and pawls mentioned.

Means are provided to prevent a reverse rotation of the shaft 18 or ratchet wheel, this control being desirable for the reason that on account of excessive vibration and shocks, while driving the load over rough ground, the use of pawls cannot be depended upon; and for this purpose the clutch or dog 26 is employed, which operates to normally maintain the lever 24 in engagement with the shaft '18 so that the pawl 23 will continue in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel while-the load remains on the wagon.

When dumping the load,- the operator releases pawl 22 from the ratchet wheel, and by use of the bell crank27 causes the dog to be released from shaft 18, and the lever 24: may then be swung forwardly by employing avery limited force. The forward swinging movement of lever 24 will cause the pawl 23 to be disconnected from the ratchet wheel to permit theshaft 18 to rotate, the doors 8 and 9 swinging downward. The novel arrangement thus provided for releasing the ratchet wheel will be appreciated by all users of the means thus described, since, for the purpose of dumping, no rotatable movement of the shaft 18 against the weight of the load is required, and the operation, therefore, is very easily effected.

' Means are provided for preventing sand or other like material from passing from the load through the space between the adjacent longitudinal edges of doors 8 and 9 when disposed horizontally. For this purpose, as best shown in Fig. 3, the door 8 is provided with a flange 29 disposed substantially parallel with its longitudinal edge.

In order that this flange may be disposed above the door 9 when the doors are disposed horizontally, and that the edges ofthe' door 9 and flange will not collide or make engagement during the upward swinging movements of the doors, means are provided under convenient controlof an operator for causing the door 8 to swing upwardly somewhat in advance of the door9, and consisting of the bell crank 30 mounted, as inclicated at 31, on the side of the vehicle box and provided with the drum 8:2 upon which one of the cables 15 is supported, the drum 32 engaging the cable between the drum 17 and a sheave 1 1'. By applying a downward pressure to a foot lever 88, the drum 32 will be elevated for causing a corresponding elevation of the cable and door 8.

Numeral 3 .1: indicates a link preferably employed for connecting the rear end of lever 33 with the bell crank 80, the fulcrum upon which this lever may rock being indicated at 85.

It will be understood that, when elevating the doors, the drum 82 shouldbe elevated before rotating the shaft. After the drum 32 has been elevated, as described, the shaft 18 may be rotated by use of lever 21 to cause the doors to swing upwardly, and the door 8 will move in advance of door 9 partly on account of the fact that the cables 15 are of equal length and also on account of the means described for elevating the drum 32 which engages the same cable with which the door 8 is connected.

After the cables, by use of lever 21, have been wound upon the drums of shaft 18, the operator removes the downward pressure from lever 38, which permits the door 8 to swing downwardly to a horizontal position with its flange 29 engaging the upper side of door 9, near the inner edge thereof, which 7 prevents leakage, as mentioned.

Numeral 36 indicates a shaft in suitable bearings disposed transversely of the vehicle and provided with a lever 37 with a pawl for engagement with a toothed sector 38 suitably mounted at the front end and midway between the sides of the vehicle box, and as best shown in Fig. 1, the brakes 39 may be controlled by a suitable arrangement of links 40 and 41, in combination with the cranks 42 and 4:3. I

In order that longitudinal movements of the doors may be prevented during their upward swinging movements, coupling pins OZ are provided for connecting the pair of straps a at the rear ends of the doors 8 and 9 with the lower ends of the adjacent chains 6, the rear parts of the pins being mounted in the hinge members (2 pivotally mounted, as indicated atm, to the brackets 02, the chains providing supports for the rear ends of the doors, and the pins (Z permitting the lateral as well as the upward swinging movements mentioned, the principal function of the coupling pins being to so dispose the doors that they will make a closure of the open bottom of the vehicle box when swung upwardly, their longitudinal movements at that time being prevented.

Having fully described the several parts, a further explanation relating to operation is not necessary. While cables have been shown for connecting the doors with the drums 17 of the rotatable shaft 18, chains or flexible strands of any kind may be used, and instead of using chains which connect the doors with the brackets 7 at opposed sides of the vehicle box, other flexible members may, of course, be substituted, since operation would be substantially the same.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. The combination of a wagon box having an opening in its bottom, chains arranged in pairs, the chains of each pair having their upper ends mounted on the sides and at longitudinal intervals of the ing an upward swinging movement of one of the doors in a limited arc before the simultaneous movements of the doors.

2. In combination with a wagon box having an opening in its bottom, chains arranged in pairs, the chains of each pair having their upper ends mounted on the sides and at longitudinal intervals of the box, a pair of coupling-pins each being connected with a rearmost chain and having a pivotal mounting upon a side to permit swinging movements thereof in a plane parallel with the side of the box, a pair of doors each being pivotally connected with a coupling-pin and a chain, means to cause simultaneous, upward swinging movements of the doors for making a closure of said opening, means for causin an upward swinging movement of one of the doors in a limited arc before the simultaneous swinging movements of the doors, and a pair of detent-members, each being mounted on the side of the box for engaging a chain to maintain the front end of a door in an elevated position.

3. The combination of a wagon box having an opening in its bottom and having its sides provided at longitudinal intervals with brackets, chains arranged in pairs and havtion with a rearmost chain, a pair of doors mounting of the eye-bolts for maintaining 10 each being pivotally connected with a couthe chains in an elevated or lowered position pling-pin and a chain, means to cause simulwith reference to the sides of the box.

taneous upward swinging movements of the In testimony whereof I have affixed my doors for making a closure of said opening, signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MACDONALD. Witnesses:

HIRAM A. STUReEs, ARTHUR H. STURGES.

means for causing an upward swinglng movement of one of the doors in a limited are before the simultaneous swinging movements of the doors, and means to adjust the Copies of. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

